Toyota Celsior For Sale

Toyota Celsior Overview

Popularly known as the Lexus LS in North America, this flagship full-size luxury sedan was so good that Toyota knew that it had to be sold in their home market as well. Only thing was, Lexus was a brand developed specifically for selected Western markets way back in the late Eighties. So, the LS was simply sold under the Toyota name in Japan, and called the Celsior. While LS was taken to abbreviate the term Luxury Saloon, Celsior has its origin in the Latin word Celsus, which means ‘elevated’ or ‘lofty’. Fitting, don’t you think. So, the first generation Celsior was pretty much the first-generation LS. It was offered with one engine, the creamy smooth 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8, paired with a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. The engine made 242 horsepower, with a claimed top speed of 155mph in overseas markets, although in Japan, it was limited to 112mph as all JDM cars tend to be. Buyers could select a basic ‘A’ model, a ‘B’ model with air suspension, or a ‘C’ model with all the bells and whistles. And unlike North American buyers, many Japanese buyers preferred fabric upholstery with those signature white lace upper seat covers that we find on many Nineties JDM cars. The second generation was introduced in 1994, and received a facelift in 1997. This facelift was notable, as it brought a new 5-speed automatic gearbox to the model, and the 4.0-liter V8 got variable valve timing. For the LS, it now made 290 horsepower; in Japan, the Celsior was rated for 276 horsepower due to the Gentleman’s Agreement in force at the time. In 2000, the third generation was revealed, with fresh styling and a new 4.3-liter V8 under the hood. The interior was also massively upgraded, and features such as radar-guided cruise control were fitted for higher variants. The facelift happened in 2003 and upgraded the gearbox to a 6-speed unit, plus several other tech updates such as adaptive projector headlamps that swivel into curves, dynamic radar-guided cruise control, and Bluetooth connectivity. This was also the last of the Celsior, as by 2005, Toyota started selling the Lexus brand in Japan, and hence, the model would be marketed as the LS from then onwards.